22 October 2008

"Noah's Arc" Actor Doug Spearman, Black Ministers Urge "NO" on Prop 8

Doug Spearman, the handsome openly gay co-star of Noah's Arc and the upcoming feature film Noah's Arc Jumping the Broom, headlines a news conference with several Los Angeles ministers to urge the black community to vote NO on California's toxic Proposition 8. The newser was held at the Lucy Florence Cultural Center in Leimert Park. From left to right, Spearman; Rev. Eric Lee, President, Southern Christian Leadership Council of LA; Rev. Vanessa Mackenzie; Rev. Arthur Lawrence Cribbs; and Willie Pelote with AFSCME.

Spearman, who is on the board of Equality California and the No on Prop 8 campaign says, "When the Supreme Court authored its opinion, it effectively wiped away not just discrimination against gays and lesbians. They wiped away discrimination in the state of California in a way that had never been addressed before. They did a brave and beautiful thing."

Black voters could play a crucial role in the fight over same-sex marriage. The Los Angeles Timesreports "they make up only about 6% of the electorate in California [and] are expected to vote in record numbers this election because of Barack Obama's presence on the ballot."

Ron Buckmire, who heads the black gay rights group the Jordan/Rustin Coalition, says black voters could be more progressive. "People have this impression that black people in general are more homophobic than the population as a whole." Buckmire tells Rod 2.0 the Mormon Church's substantial donations to Prop 8 are troubling to many blacks because of the church's racist history. "African Americans are fully aware that before 1982 Mormons openly discriminated against Black people and will be unlikely to agree with them amending the state constitution to deny civil rights to a particular group of people."

While surveys show a majority of black voters support the measure, many black gay activists push back on some attempts—Andrew Sullivan et al—to blame Proposition 8's passage on the black community. Blogger and journalist Darian Aaron criticizes the largely vanilla complexion of the gay community's opposition anti-Prop outreach. "There are thousands of black gay and lesbian couples throughout the state, supportive clergy, and straight allies that could have been included in this campaign," Darian writes. "African-Americans understand what it feels like to not have a place at the table, to jump the broom versus having legal recognition of their marriages, to enter through the back door versus the front."

Illegal Aliens are beating/shooting black men (and women) for simply walking down the street in and around Los Angeles.

Los Angeles Police officers beat the hell outta black men. LAPD is just as bad as the Italian cops beating the hell outta black men in New York City and Philadelphia.

This PROP 8 CRAP IS THE LEAST OF BLACK FOLKS WORRIES.

Also, I have seen Rodney Chester hanging out with flaming queens during the General Gay Pride in NYC. I have seen him in Atlanta's Lenox Mall during Black Gay Pride with super flamers. Miss Rodney should get a grip.

You don't see any images of gay Latino or Asian couples when it comes to how we view gay marriage. This is an issue of race now? Sorry, I don't give a rat's ass if I'm not a ''brotha'' or ''you don't know what it's like to be black!''. It's pathetic that a lot of you are surprised that many people out there, not just Whitey, really believe African Americans are generally more homophobic than other ethnic groups? Who's fault is that, I wonder? Latin Americans are right up there with their level of Homophobia as well. Is that surprising too? You can thank the mighty Allah and Lawd Jesus and their followers for that.

I'm Latino and I would like to see more representation of Hispanics/Latinos and OTHER ETHNIC minorites represented in the LBGT community who are probably going through the same struggles of marriage and dealing with their fair share of BS. Stop making this into a White vs. Black debate, the Hispanic/Latino LGBT community face the same threat if NO is voted on Prop 8. With all these hilarous rants about White gays, funny how you forget there not only White and Black Gays, but Latinos, Asians and for all we know, Arabs/Middle Easterners.

Consider this too, which has the bigger demographic when it comes to the LGBT community? Whites or Blacks? Also wonder why nothing is said about represenation of LATINOS and ASIANS when it comes to this so-called ''community''.

I just love how so many of you are immediately assuming that if NO is voted, the blame will go soley African Americans. What about Republicans and Religious groups? Or hell, even Latinos?